Painting opens my heart to joy and frees my body of the pain– Suzie Cheel
The past few weeks I have been waking up with pain where I have my crush fracture and I usually start the day with meditation and EFT. One morning I heard the inner voice suggest :Why not paint out the pain?.
That morning I headed to my studio and was drawn to the red watercolor crayons which then became the background layer for the painting above. I was feeling a little angry if you are wondering about the black shape that now looks like a bomb to me. Sometimes I am a bit like a bomb ready to explode especially when I was cursing the prednisolone –although my friend Ellie Walsh has helped me make peace with the drugs, well almost 🙂 After completing this painting I did feel some relief and headed off to the beach for a walk and a swim.
The next morning I heard the same message, Why not paint out the pain? and headed to the studio and allowed the colors to choose me. I was quite surprised when the heart below appeared. I then felt a sense of joy and brightness as well as surprise. I conscious that while I was painting I did not notice or feel any pain.
The next day I followed my intuition and again headed to the studio to paint something, this time something quite different. As my friend Joy wrote recently to me : “I observe your journey right now, as your body speaks to you, your heart says yes please to life and continues to create these masterpieces that some don’t create at all….” This was one of those “masterpieces” – not a word I would normally use :). I was following my intuition and trusting. I love this painting below and the many complexities I can see in the painting, I love the colors and on the right I can see the pain path moving out.
The pain did return later in the day. I usually relieve this with a heat pack and an Digital Therapy Machine I found at a local market. I am not taking any pain killers as I found they had limited effect and made me sleepy.
Today I have for the first time in weeks woken up with no pain at my T6 vertebra or in my arm. I am doing arm and spine building exercises, following the Save Our Bones program by Vivian Goldschmidt for my Osteoporosis and some energy medicine from Donna Eden, I listened to her talking with Jessica Ortner recently on the Tapping World Summit 2012.
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I love this Suzie! I usually catch up on my hobbies when I am in pain – it is a great way to move the mind away from it, yet in some sense, release it too. I’ve had a few fractures from driving accidents – and I know I’ve created some of my best sketches during that time. I think it was the freedom of being able to focus on it, for me; because otherwise I am usually running around quite a lot.
Loved the art – so very cheerful and encouraging!
Hi Vidya,
Welcome and thank you for sharing your experiences about your creative pain experiences.
I do appreciate your comments about my art- makes my heart sing
What speaks to me loudest in your words and your art is your underlying spirit and joy…”painting out the pain” is in essence removing the ‘surface level’ and allowing your heart whispers to roam free through creative expression. What I feel when viewing your work is not “pain” but utter joy and love…Beautiful in all realms!
Your words make my heart sing and I love how you see my art. Yes I sometimes hear those heart whispers especially if I am unsure about adding another brushstroke after I do truly know it is finished.
I am such a failure in painting or any kind of arts, but I would love to learn!
Hi Nikky,
Sounds like you would love to do one of my untap your creativity classes. I was told at 12 I couldn’t draw so I couldn’t do art!!!!!! I went on many years later to teach art and craft to Child Care Workers and then had my own Handpainted Textile Art business and now I am painting on paper.
We all have within us the magic of painting etc – You have the creativity of writing and what a great title your blog post has.
You have inspired me to make a video on getting started with untapping your creativity.
What I love most about this is “I followed my intuition” – Such a key for all of us … And while your pain right now is showing up in the physical … how many people have emotional pain … The pain is about not following that intuition … for me I have been calling it my Wisdom… When I listen and follow Wisdom all the pain is gone!
Big Hugs!
Hi Ellie,
Yes not “following my Intuition” has caused me grief I love your “wisdom”. It also comes back to trusting what your Wisdom tells you.
love and hugs xxoo
Very nice story and a great idea to refocus away from the pain.
Love and acceptance is very healing.
I wrote about my experience with body dialogue for my knee pain on my blog.
http://yourhealingpathways.com/2010/07/are-you-listening-to-your-body/
Hi Catherine,
Great to meet you, love your story of body dialoguing. Love amd acceptance are essential I feel to healing.
Hi Suzie,
Great post on how to transform pain into inner freedom and creativity.
Your heart says yes to life and the pain fades away….
Great testimonial for those who thing that medicines are the only cure to wellness and joy.
Hi Patricia,
Thanks for you uplifting comment I like how to transform pain into inner freedom and creativity. Yes if you just rely on medicine you never learn from your body. Sometimes we do though need traditional meds as well as the complementary ones, not to mention painting and writing